How-To Geek

The Nissan Pathfinder has been hauling people and their stuff around since 1986, when it arrived as a compact pickup-based off-roader before eventually growing into the three-row SUV it is today.

Luxury used to be all about aspiration. People paid extra for nicer materials, smoother performance, quieter cabins, and the badge on the hood that signaled you’d “made it.”

We've reached the last weekend in May, meaning all the shows that premiere on June 1 or later will compete at the 2027 Emmys rather than the 2026 ceremony in the fall. Keep in mind that the high-profile shows of June, including Cape Fear on Apple TV and House of the Dragon on HBO Max, are ones to keep an eye on.

Toyota has spent decades building a reputation for making some of the most dependable SUVs on the road. For many buyers, that reputation alone is enough to put the brand at the top of their shopping list. However, the company is currently going through a major transition period, with many of its most important SUVs either entering new generations or adopting hybrid powertrains for the first time.

The modern smartphone landscape is a creative desert. Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra is technically outstanding, but held back by an uninspired design and generic software. Google's Pixel 10 Pro? It's better-looking, but won't thrill you unless you prize camera quality and AI. Even foldables have settled into a groove, with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 pulling bolder ideas like the S Pen in the name of thinness.

Luxury sedans used to sit right at the top of the automotive world. Before SUVs took over and giant screens became the main event, they were the cars automakers threw everything at—comfort, silence, performance, and tech all in one package.

After months of teases, Waymo is ready to offer public rides in its first purpose-built, widely available robotaxi, and it's billed as a "living room on wheels" with the technology upgrade to match.

The art of binge-watching comes in many forms. It's fun to embark on a multi-week journey to stream a long-running show that you always wanted to watch. Other times, I can sit down for dinner and finish an entire series before it's time to go to bed.

Full-size pickup trucks have become the default choice for a lot of buyers, despite the fact that most people rarely use even half of the capability they offer. Massive towing figures and oversized dimensions may look impressive on paper, but they also come with higher prices, worse fuel economy, and a more cumbersome driving experience. For the average driver, a modern mid-size truck often makes far more sense.

I've come to realize that the problem with PC storage isn't capacity, it's scalability. After all, while even a small 250GB drive has its uses, no one is stopping you from buying an 8TB SSD. Sure, it'll cost a fortune, but you do you.

In many ways, Google Messages is a big step forward for texting on Android, but in other ways, it's a trap. Just like how using Google Messages makes it exceedingly difficult to transfer your number back to any other texting app, enabling backups in Google Messages comes with inadvertent downsides as well.

If you’re in the market for a new speaker system and are on a limited budget, you should seriously consider getting a quality stereo (2.0 or 2.1) system instead of a cheap, but compromised, surround setup. A high-end stereo setup has always been, and likely always will be, a better choice than a cheap and poor-sounding surround sound system for reasons that go beyond superior sound quality.

Last year’s biggest mobile software story was Apple’s divisive new “Liquid Glass” design style. Then, this year started with hints of Google bringing a similar look to Android 17 on Pixel phones. Google has directly denied any inspiration, but the latest beta tells a different story.

Buying a first car for a teenager is one of the more important decisions a family makes. The vehicle has to be affordable, reliable, and safe. Traffic crashes remain one of the leading causes of death for teens between 15 and 18, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, with novice teen drivers twice as likely as adults to be involved in a fatal crash.

Pi-hole might be the simplest Raspberry Pi project of them all, while at the same time being one of the most impactful in terms of everyday usage. Once you’ve set Pi-hole up, leave your Raspberry Pi plugged in and it will quietly do its job without the need for a display, mouse, keyboard, or anything else.

The Raspberry Pi is one of the most popular single-board computers out there among tinkerers, self-hosting enthusiasts, and homelabbers. However, if you're looking to get the best homelab performance for your dollar, the Pi isn't a great option—it just isn't designed for that use. There are better options out there at the same price.

Are you ready for another set of homelab projects? It's all about backups and optimizations this weekend, as I show you how important game server and GitHub backups are, as well as how to optimize the downloading of updates and apps across Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Samsung has never been scared to include as many options as possible in its devices. That includes the Galaxy Watch as well, of course, but not all of the best features are enabled fresh out of the box. Let's make sure you haven't overlooked some grayed-out toggles.

Like all good tech geeks, I am a terrible hoarder. I have drawers full of old cables for phones I no longer own, and empty boxes from devices I sold years ago. I also have several old routers gathering dust, and decided to put one of them to good use.

My favorite thing about owning a 3D printer is being able to invent solutions for my everyday life. Those small annoyances or inefficiencies that store-bought products can’t fix. One recent example is my custom desktop water tracker. Come along with me on this problem-solving journey.